Lord Blunkett

In 1952, Part I of the Accession Council was held on Wednesday 6th February 1952. There were 191 attendees, comprising some 165 Privy Counsellors, representatives of the Realms and the Commonwealth, and the City of London. Part II of the Accession Council was held on Friday the 8th February 1952, on the return of The Queen from Kenya, and attended by 175 Privy Counsellors.

Revised arrangements for an Accession Council on the Demise of the Crown have been put in place following a routine review of operational delivery arrangements.

The updated arrangements are an equitable and proportionate response to three key challenges identified during the review:

First, the number of Privy Counsellors potentially eligible to attend an Accession Council has increased exponentially since 1952.

Secondly, whilst it has long been agreed that St. James’s Palace is the most appropriate setting for the Accession Council, the historic nature of St. James’s Palace presents a number of significant challenges in terms of capacity, accessibility and crowd flow.

Thirdly, the pace at which an Accession Council must take place means that very limited additional infrastructure and provision can be put in place to support dignified delivery of such an important occasion.

Attendance arrangements for previous Accession Councils has varied and - like current planning - took into account contemporary operational challenges. There is no constitutional understanding that all Privy Counsellors must be summonsed to an Accession Council.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), as the UK’s cyber security authority, frequently publishes advice to help individuals and organisations make informed, risk based decisions on the provider they use.

In 2017, the NCSC published specific guidance on managing the risk of cloud-enabled products - https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/managing-supply-chain-risk-cloud-enabled-products - and in particular recommended that audio visual equipment sourced from Russian companies should not be used on government systems dealing with national security matters.

In supporting the levelling up agenda, Her Majesty’s Government would like to see representation in the honours system from the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, reflecting the extraordinary contributions made across every part of this country, with a real focus in recognising parts of the country often overlooked.

The information requested is enclosed in the below table and includes data from the Prime Ministers List only. Data is collected using the county that the recipient gives as their correspondence address; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin.

Percentage of NY22 recipients living in each region by level.

The Government publishes honours transparency data broken down by both town/city and county. Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin). This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. The transparency data for the New Year Honours List 2022 can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-year-honours-list-2022-cabinet-office.

The Government does not collate data against political administrative areas and we cannot provide information regarding honours awarded in the Sheffield City Region.

In supporting the levelling up agenda, Her Majesty’s Government would like to see representation in the honours system from the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, reflecting the extraordinary contributions made across every part of this country, with a real focus in recognising parts of the country often overlooked.

The information requested is enclosed in the below table and includes data from the Prime Ministers List only. Data is collected using the county that the recipient gives as their correspondence address; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin.

Percentage of NY22 recipients living in each region by level.

The Government publishes honours transparency data broken down by both town/city and county. Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin). This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. The transparency data for the New Year Honours List 2022 can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-year-honours-list-2022-cabinet-office.

The Government does not collate data against political administrative areas and we cannot provide information regarding honours awarded in the Sheffield City Region.

In supporting the levelling up agenda, Her Majesty’s Government would like to see representation in the honours system from the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, reflecting the extraordinary contributions made across every part of this country, with a real focus in recognising parts of the country often overlooked.

The information requested is enclosed in the below table and includes data from the Prime Ministers List only. Data is collected using the county that the recipient gives as their correspondence address; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin.

Percentage of NY22 recipients living in each region by level.

The Government publishes honours transparency data broken down by both town/city and county. Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin). This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. The transparency data for the New Year Honours List 2022 can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-year-honours-list-2022-cabinet-office.

The Government does not collate data against political administrative areas and we cannot provide information regarding honours awarded in the Sheffield City Region.

The Government publishes honours transparency data broken down by both town/city and county. Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin). This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. The transparency data for the Birthday Honours List 2021 can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-queens-birthday-honours-2021.

As noted in PQ HL11724, answered on 19 January 2021, the Government does not collate data against political administrative areas and we cannot provide information regarding honours awarded in the Sheffield City Region.

The Government publishes honours transparency data broken down by both town/city and county. Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin). This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. The transparency data for the Birthday Honours List 2021 can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-queens-birthday-honours-2021.

As noted in PQ HL11724, answered on 19 January 2021, the Government does not collate data against political administrative areas and we cannot provide information regarding honours awarded in the Sheffield City Region.

In supporting the levelling up agenda, Her Majesty’s Government would like to see representation in the honours system from the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, reflecting the extraordinary contributions made across every part of this country, with a real focus in recognising parts of the country often overlooked.

The information requested is enclosed in the attached table; it excludes data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List.

Data is collected using the county that the recipient gives as their correspondence address; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin. Figures on representation in London and South East England should be viewed in that light.

There are also wide variations within localities. Whilst the ceremonial counties of the Lord Lieutenancy areas make precise comparisons challenging, I would note for example, that Greater Manchester received 3.2% of the awards (relative to 4.2% local authority share of the population) and West Yorkshire has 2.8% of the awards (relative to a 3.5% share of the population) – far greater representation than many other parts of the country.

Clearly, there is more to do, particularly to encourage more nominations for outstanding contributions from across all parts of the United Kingdom.

Nominations, which are made by members of the public, come directly to the Cabinet Office. Alongside this, organisations, charities and businesses make nominations directly to other government departments and to the Devolved Administrations. Therefore, a complete record of all honours nominations submitted is not held by the Cabinet Office. There are no plans to publish data on nominations.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the New Year Honours List 2021 can be found below by region and level. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point.

Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin) and is aggregated into regional figures. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Percentage of NY21 recipients living in each region by level

Nominations, which are made by members of the public, come directly to the Cabinet Office. Alongside this, organisations, charities and businesses make nominations directly to other government departments and to the Devolved Administrations. Therefore, a complete record of all honours nominations submitted is not held by the Cabinet Office. There are no plans to publish data on nominations.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the New Year Honours List 2021 can be found below by region and level. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point.

Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin) and is aggregated into regional figures. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Percentage of NY21 recipients living in each region by level

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the New Year Honours List 2021 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point.

Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin) and is aggregated into regional figures. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Honours are awarded on the basis of merit. We are working to improve regional representation in the honours lists, including running events across the UK to raise awareness. A complete record of all nominations received is not held by the Cabinet Office.

NY21 Regional data

The Government does not collate data against such political administrative areas and cannot provide information regarding honours awarded in the Sheffield city region. However, the Government publishes transparency data, broken down by both town/city and county. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-year-honours-list-2021-cabinet-office.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the New Year Honours List 2021 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point.

Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin) and is aggregated into regional figures. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Honours are awarded on the basis of merit. We are working to improve regional representation in the honours lists, including running events across the UK to raise awareness. A complete record of all nominations received is not held by the Cabinet Office.

NY21 Regional data

The Government does not collate data against such political administrative areas and cannot provide information regarding honours awarded in the Sheffield city region. However, the Government publishes transparency data, broken down by both town/city and county. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-year-honours-list-2021-cabinet-office.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the New Year Honours List 2021 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point.

Data is collected using the county the recipient gives as their correspondence address (usually their home address rather than their places of origin) and is aggregated into regional figures. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Honours are awarded on the basis of merit. We are working to improve regional representation in the honours lists, including running events across the UK to raise awareness. A complete record of all nominations received is not held by the Cabinet Office.

NY21 Regional data

The Government does not collate data against such political administrative areas and cannot provide information regarding honours awarded in the Sheffield city region. However, the Government publishes transparency data, broken down by both town/city and county. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-year-honours-list-2021-cabinet-office.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 can be found below. Please note that data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients rather than region of origin. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Honours are bestowed on merit. A key aim of the honours system is to make it more equitable and better representative of the whole of the UK.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and included in the same table below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region is not captured, as we are not able to break down the data in that way.

Honours are bestowed on merit. A key aim of the honours system is to make it more equitable and better representative of the whole of the UK.

In the last 25 years (since October 1995) there have been 83 recipients of the Companion of Honour. We do not collect the information requested, nor do we collect information on recipients of Order of Merit, as this is within the personal gift of The Sovereign.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and included in the same table below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region is not captured, as we are not able to break down the data in that way.

Honours are bestowed on merit. A key aim of the honours system is to make it more equitable and better representative of the whole of the UK.

In the last 25 years (since October 1995) there have been 83 recipients of the Companion of Honour. We do not collect the information requested, nor do we collect information on recipients of Order of Merit, as this is within the personal gift of The Sovereign.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and included in the same table below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region is not captured, as we are not able to break down the data in that way.

Honours are bestowed on merit. A key aim of the honours system is to make it more equitable and better representative of the whole of the UK.

In the last 25 years (since October 1995) there have been 83 recipients of the Companion of Honour. We do not collect the information requested, nor do we collect information on recipients of Order of Merit, as this is within the personal gift of The Sovereign.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and included in the same table below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region is not captured, as we are not able to break down the data in that way.

Honours are bestowed on merit. A key aim of the honours system is to make it more equitable and better representative of the whole of the UK.

In the last 25 years (since October 1995) there have been 83 recipients of the Companion of Honour. We do not collect the information requested, nor do we collect information on recipients of Order of Merit, as this is within the personal gift of The Sovereign.

Civil Service departments are planning for a phased return to the workplace from 1 August, in line with all relevant UK Government and devolved administration guidelines. Many civil servants have of course continued to attend their workplaces throughout the pandemic to support the government's response to this emergency, for example through delivering Universal Credit and the Furlough Scheme or other essential services.

Honours are bestowed on merit. However a key aim of the honours system is to make it more equitable and better representative of the whole of the UK.

In the last 25 years there have been 84 recipients of the Companion of Honour. We do not collect the information requested, nor do we collect information on recipients of Order of Merit, as this is within the personal gift of The Sovereign.

Significant progress has been made in recent years to improve diversity in the honours system. For example, we now consistently see around half of awards overall going to women, and in the New Year 2020 Honours List, 44% of senior honours went to women. Around 10% of awards go to recipients from a BAME background. We welcome more nominations from under-represented regions and we are running a programme of regional events to promote the system in those areas most under-represented.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at CBE level or higher on the New Year Honours List 2020 can be found below. Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients on the New Year Honours List 2020 can be found below. Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region is not captured, as we are not able to break down the data in that way.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients on the New Year Honours List 2020 can be found below. Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region is not captured, as we are not able to break down the data in that way.

Reclaim Fund Ltd is the Dormant Assets Scheme’s administrator. It is responsible for managing dormant assets and transferring surplus funds to The National Lottery Community Fund, the named distributor of dormant assets funding. Funds must be spent on social or environmental purposes.

Dormant assets funding is not central government money and there is no central bidding process for accessing it. In England, funding is currently distributed to four specialist organisations who work across the areas of youth, financial inclusion and social investment. These organisations are independent from the government, and are not required to report to the government on geographical distribution of funding.

Funding must fulfill the additionality principle, support the three defined causes and be distributed for initiatives in England. Beyond this, the four specialist spend organisations are free to determine the most appropriate way to deliver against their objectives. This includes geographical distribution of any organisations which may apply to them for funding. The organisations themselves are responsible for managing any such applications, including the geographical distribution of their work.

As per the BBC Charter, the Chair and Nations Members of the BBC Board are appointed by Her Majesty the Queen, via Order in Council, following a fair and open competition. All other members of the BBC Board are appointed by the BBC.

Upon appointment, the Governance Code requires that any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years is declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. As per the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ‘political activity should not affect any judgement of merit nor be a bar to appointment’.

The BBC Board’s Code of Practice also requires members of the BBC Board to publicly declare their personal interests (including any political interests), and to regularly update this declaration. The BBC publishes each Board member’s Declaration of Personal Interests annually via its website: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/whoweare/bbcboard.

Those BBC Board Members appointed by Her Majesty the Queen made the following declarations upon appointment:

1. Chair: Richard Sharp declared he had made one political donation to the Conservative Party of £2,500 during the past five years at time of appointment.

2. Scotland: Steve Morrison declared no such political activity during the past five years at time of appointment.

3. England: Sir Robbie Gibb declared that between 2017 and 2019 he was Director of Communications at No10 Downing Street during the past five years at time of appointment.

4. Wales: Dame Elan Cross Stephens declared no such political activity during the past five years at time of initial appointment in 2017 and reappointment in 2021.

5. Northern Ireland: This role is currently vacant.

Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must not discriminate against a pupil or member of staff in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act. As employers, schools are under the same duties to make reasonable adjustments in relation to disability for their employees or potential employees as they are for their pupils. State funded schools are also subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The department has published guidance on the Equality Act 2010 for schools, which includes advice on how they can meet their duties under the Act. We expect schools to adhere to their statutory requirements as employers and do not monitor this at a school level on a routine basis. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315587/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission provides more detailed advice on workplace adjustment and has powers to enforce equality legislation. Additionally, the Equality Advisory and Support Service, is an independent service aimed at individuals who need information, advice and support on discrimination and human rights issues.

Through the adult education budget (AEB), we fully fund or co-fund skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes fully funded first full level 2 and/or level 3 for learners aged 19 to 23.

Learners in receipt of low wage (£17,374.50 annual gross salary or less) who would previously have been co-funded, are eligible for full funding following the earlier low wage trial that operated in the 2018/19 and the 2019/20 academic years. This directly supports social mobility by enabling those that have been motivated to move out of unemployment and are low paid or skilled, to further progress.

We specifically recognise the importance of English, mathematics and digital skills, both in work and everyday life. That is why we are continuing to support participation in these areas to meet employers’ needs and support people to progress in employment or further study.

We provide full funding for learners who need English and mathematics skills to undertake a range of courses in GCSEs, Functional Skills and other relevant qualifications from entry level to level 2. We also fully or co-fund adults to take English for Speakers of Other Languages as part of our wider effort to improve adult literacy in England.

Adults with no or low digital skills are fully funded to undertake new Essential Digital Skills Qualifications at entry level and level 1, based on new national standards for essential digital skills, which equip learners with the digital skills needed for life, work and further study.

We also support training for adults in community settings through the AEB. Prioritised for disadvantaged learners, community learning can provide a 'stepping stone' for those adults who are not ready for formal accredited learning, or who would benefit from learning in a more informal way.

The department is reviewing post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below, to ensure that every qualification approved for public funding has a distinct purpose, is high quality and supports progression to positive outcomes. We recognise that level 2 and below study serves students with a diverse range of needs, and that some young people and adults studying at these levels may require additional support to help realise their ambitions.

One of the first steps to realise our ambitions for level 2 and below study is a government call for evidence, which launched on 12 November 2020. It gives the education sector, industry, and others with an interest in study at these levels the opportunity to share their views on how the level 2 and below system can best work in the context of our proposed reforms to level 3 qualifications. The level 2 and below call for evidence closed on 14 February. We will set out further proposals later this year. The call for evidence is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-study-at-level-2-and-below-call-for-evidence.

As we address the challenges presented by COVID-19, it is vital that we support adults, including those working in sectors directly affected by COVID-19, to attain the skills that will be needed in the economy of the future.

Starting this year, the government is investing £2.5 billion in the National Skills Fund. Investment in skills through the National Skills Fund is vital as it ensures that adults have the opportunity to retrain at different points throughout their lives and can progress into higher wage employment.

From 1 April 2021, the government is supporting any adult who does not have A levels or equivalent qualifications, to access almost 400 fully funded level 3 courses, with Free Courses for Jobs.

Complementing this support for adults, we have introduced Skills Bootcamps which offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.

We have already introduced Skills Bootcamps in 6 areas (West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, Liverpool City Region, Leeds City Region, Heart of South West, and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) and we are investing a further £43 million from the National Skills Fund to expand them across England.

Funding that is clawed back from grant fund providers will be reinvested in departmental priorities, including to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on providers and learners, enabling us to allocate resources effectively across the department and live within our Parliamentary control totals.

On 19 June, the government announced a £1 billion COVID-19 catch up package, including a £650 million catch up premium to help schools support all pupils and the £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged students. Headteachers can decide how best to use their schools’ premium allocation to tackle the impact of lost teaching time on their pupils, but are encouraged to spend it on evidence-driven approaches including small group or one-to-one tuition, support over the summer, or additional support for great teaching. To help schools make the best use of this funding, the Education Endowment Foundation has published a support guide for schools with evidence-based approaches to catch up for all students, available here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/#nav-covid-19-support-guide-for-schools1 and a further school planning guide: 2020 to 2021, available here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/guide-to-supporting-schools-planning/.

On 20 July, the government published guidance setting out further information on the package, including details of the £650 million catch up premium. The funding will be available for all state-funded mainstream and special schools, and alternative provision. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-catch-up-premium.

All pupils have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, so schools’ allocations from the catch-up premium will be calculated on a per pupil basis. This will provide each mainstream school with a total of £80 for each pupil and special, alternative provision and hospital schools with £240 for each place, across the 2020/21 academic year. We have applied additional weighting to specialist settings, recognising the significantly higher per pupil costs they face.

The funding is to support catch up across the academic year and will therefore be provided in 3 tranches. We will provide schools with an initial part payment in autumn 2020, based on the latest available data. This will ensure schools do not need to delay in setting up programmes. We will then distribute a second grant payment in early 2021, based on actual pupil and place data for the 2020 to 2021 academic year, and a final payment will be made in the summer term 2021.

In addition to the catch-up premium, we will spend up to £350 million on a National Tutoring Programme, to provide targeted support to disadvantage and vulnerable pupils. The programme, which has 2 strands will commence from November 2020. Through the Tuition Partners strand, schools will be eligible to access heavily subsidised tuition from an approved list of tuition partners for their pupils. Through our Academic Mentors strand, schools in the most disadvantaged areas can apply for support to employ in-house Academic Mentor to provide small group and 1:1 tuition to their pupils. Further information can be found here: https://nationaltutoring.org.uk/faqs.

As part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak we made temporary changes to the law relating to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This was to strike the right balance between:

• the needs of children and young people with SEND to be protected and receive the right support in a timely way; and
• managing the demands on local authorities, health bodies and education settings to respond to the outbreak.

As part of the plans for children and young people returning to full-time education in September, we have announced that (unless the evidence changes) the modification to the duties on local authorities and health commissioning bodies to secure or arrange the provision in education, health and care (EHC) plans will cease at the end of July.

We have been closely monitoring the impact of the changes we made to secondary legislation that allow greater flexibility to local authorities and their partners over the timescales for various EHC needs assessment and plan processes. As things stand, the Regulations in question expire on 25 September 2020. We have committed to keeping the changes to the law in place for no longer than is necessary. We expect to make a decision next month as to how long the changes to these timescales should remain in force.

In light of COVID-19, we have carefully assessed the challenges the sector is facing and brought forward a comprehensive support package for higher education providers and students in order to stabilise the admissions system and ease pressures on universities’ finances. This included confirming universities’ eligibility to apply for the government financial support schemes and bringing forward £100 million of research funding and an estimated £2.6 billion worth of tuition fee payments for providers. The government continues to prioritise science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and medicine.

Additionally, the government continues to contribute teaching grant funding to support the delivery of priority activity, including for high-cost subjects. High-cost subject funding is due to total £690 million for 2020-21 and it is targeted at many STEM courses, as well as medicine. Very high-cost STEM subject funding is due to be £24 million for 2020-21.

​​In September 2019 the government announced a review of the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The SEND review is internal to the government. The review considers how the system can work best for all families whilst ensuring quality provision is more consistently available and improve child outcomes whilst improving value for money. The government recently called for evidence on the effectiveness of current arrangements to fund schools to support SEND pupils, and officials will consider this evidence alongside the review.

Our officials are working closely with stakeholders. There are 3 independent advisers on the cross-government steering group: Tony McArdle, Lead Commissioner in Northamptonshire County Council, former Education Endowment Fund Chair Sir Kevan Collins and Anne Heavey, National Director of Whole School SEND. We will provide an update on progress with the review and our plans for further engagement shortly.​

To ensure the vaccination programme is delivered sustainably, NHS England and NHS Improvement recommended that local health systems should spread capacity across community pharmacy, vaccination centres and general practice. Additional funding has been made available to support general practices to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination programme, including for the Primary Care Network (PCN) Clinical Director role and incentives to support vaccination programme delivery goals.

Throughout the vaccination programme, providers have been able to access centrally sourced workforce, including unregistered vaccinators through the lead employer model, using a national protocol as appropriate to support vaccination delivery. This workforce offer is continuing in the autumn booster programme and includes volunteers.

The Carr-Hill funding formula adjusts the global sum payment to general practitioner (GP) contractors. The formula weights a practice’s patient list against a number of factors which reflect differences in the age and sex composition of the practice demographic, additional pressures generated by differential rates of patient turnover, morbidity, and the impact of geographical location. The Carr-Hill funding formula does not reflect changes in demand unless they are a result of a change in patient demographic or unavoidable practice costs, and so does not directly address COVID-19 related pressures or areas of low vaccine take-up.

To ensure that general practices are able to meet demand generated by the pandemic, we have made available an additional ringfenced £270 million from November 2020 until September 2021, to ensure GPs and their teams are able to continue to support all patients.

The impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and learning difficulties will be one of the focuses for the new Social Sector COVID-19 Support Taskforce.

The Social Care Sector COVID-19 Support Taskforce will ensure the delivery of two packages of support that the Government has put in place for the care sector and will be supported by several advisory groups including one on support for people with learning disabilities and autism.

We are developing a new test and trace programme which will bring together an app, expanded web and phone-based contact tracing, and swab testing for those with potential COVID-19 symptoms.

If someone installs the National Health Service COVID-19 app, it will start logging the distance between their phone and other phones nearby that also have the app installed. It measures this distance using a form of Bluetooth that is less energy hungry than normal Bluetooth. This log of proximity information will be stored securely on the person’s phone. If a person becomes unwell with symptoms of COVID-19, they can report this to the NHS via the app which will mean that other app users who have come into significant contact with that person over the previous few days can be alerted and provided with advice if appropriate.

The first phase of the app rollout is taking place on the Isle of Wight. This will ensure the app is functioning as expected and will help us to see how it works best alongside the web and phone-based systems and to ensure that it dovetails with the testing programme.

Ministers are accountable to Parliament for the Department’s response to COVID-19, including the test and trace programme.

Directors of Public Health and their teams will be key to the local delivery of the test and trace programme.

Occupational health services are vitally important in keeping people healthy and safe in the workplace. The command paper, Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability, committed to setting out a clear strategy for the future occupational health market reform. Following the Health is everyone’s business consultation published in July 2019, an upcoming response will outline future occupational health strategy.

The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is very important. As part of the NHS People Plan, we plan to set out a comprehensive package of support that all NHS staff can expect to receive from their employer, including rapid access to occupational health services. Publication of the final NHS People Plan has been deferred to allow the NHS to provide maximum operational effort to COVID-19 response. However, we have commissioned the NHS to urgently put in place a package of support for NHS staff during COVID-19 response.

The government is committed to ensuring that people are able to use, and maximise their use of, products and services made available by the financial services industry. Government policy on financial capability and education focuses on ensuring that people can access the guidance they need and have the confidence and skills to successfully engage with their finances. That is why the government established the Money and Pension Service (MaPS) in January 2019, merging the three former organisations providing free-to-use financial guidance (the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service, and Pension Wise) to simplify the existing public financial guidance landscape and offer more holistic support to consumers.

MaPS’s 2018 Adult Financial Capability Survey identified and measured the key components of financial capability through a large, nationally representative sample. This data can be broken down across a range of sociodemographic factors including age, gender and region. The full dataset is publicly available and will be updated later this year.

In 2020, MaPS published the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing, which sets out five national goals to improve the UK’s financial wellbeing by 2030. These include 2 million more children and young people getting a meaningful financial education, and 5 million more people understanding enough to plan for, and in, later life. The Strategy also includes three cross-cutting lenses focusing on gender, mental health, and wellbeing in the workplace. MaPS are working closely with a range of stakeholders from different sectors to deliver the Strategy, including to develop delivery plans for each of the four UK nations.

The government has no plans to review the provision of financial education. In 2014, for the first time, financial literacy was made statutory within the National Curriculum in England, as part of the curriculum for citizenship education for 11 to 16 year olds. At the same time, the government also introduced a rigorous mathematics curriculum, which provides pupils with the knowledge and skills to make important financial decisions. The Department for Education trusts schools to use their professional judgement and understanding of their pupils to develop the right teaching approach for their school.

Estimates of the number of children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance and/or personal independence payments who received additional Child Trust Fund payments would only be available at a disproportionate cost.

HMRC has created a simple online tool to help young people find out where their account is held. If someone does not know where the CTF is held, they can use this service at any time. This will provide the details of the account. For those who do not have the identifying information required to access the tool, HMRC will provide alternative, non-digital routes to finding a CTF provider upon request. HMRC and The Share Foundation are also working together to help children in need of further support. Further information can be found - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/teenagers-to-get-access-to-child-trust-funds-for-first-time.

Data is not available for those that have accessed CTFs with or without a court order. However, On 1 December the Government made an announcement regarding the clarification of guidance on court fees and CTFs.

Wirecard AG, the German payments provider, entered administration last week. It has a UK subsidiary, Wirecard Card Solution Ltd (Wirecard UK), which is FCA regulated. This subsidiary is not in administration.

Last week, the FCA temporarily applied restrictions to Wirecard UK’s business while the firm ensured it could safeguard customers’ money. The government worked closely with the FCA to understand and mitigate the impact of this measure – for example, the DWP worked to ensure those who received benefits into accounts using Wirecard UK had an alternate means of receiving payments.

The firm has now been able to demonstrate that it has met the necessary conditions, and the restrictions were lifted on Tuesday 30 June. Customers can access their money as usual.

This information is not readily available. To answer the question, a manual check would be needed of each instance of an offender serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence on licence being recalled to custody, where the reason given includes further charges (approximately 1,900). This could be completed only at disproportionate cost.

An offender on an IPP licence is recalled to custody where they breach their licence conditions in a way which indicates escalating risk, such that the supervising officer determines that they can no longer be safely managed in the community.

A total of 231 prisoners have died in custody while serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence. Their causes of death are set out in the attached table. This data runs from January 2005 to December 2021.

The Government does not hold collated data about the deaths of offenders on licence in the community. I regret that the data requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Every death in prison custody and the community is a tragedy that deeply affects families, staff and other prisoners. We are committed to doing all we can to prevent deaths in prison custody and of offenders under supervision.

The Government is committed to the protection of the public and the effective management of offenders. By law, prisoners serving indeterminate sentences who have completed their tariff will be released only when the independent Parole Board concludes that the risk they present to the public is capable of being safely managed in the community under probation supervision.

As of 31 March 2021, there were 1,784 prisoners serving the IPP sentence in custody who have never been released.

As of the same date, there were 632 prisoners serving the IPP sentence in custody who had been recalled more than once, whilst there were 2243 offenders serving the IPP sentence in the community who have been released and not been recalled.

As of 8 July, 18 applications have been received from offenders requesting termination of their IPP licence. From September this year, officials will refer automatically to the Parole Board the case of every offender serving the IPP sentence who has become eligible to apply for termination of his/her IPP licence.

Notes for all figures:

1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large-scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.

The Government is committed to the protection of the public and the effective management of offenders. By law, prisoners serving indeterminate sentences who have completed their tariff will be released only when the independent Parole Board concludes that the risk they present to the public is capable of being safely managed in the community under probation supervision.

As of 31 March 2021, there were 1,784 prisoners serving the IPP sentence in custody who have never been released.

As of the same date, there were 632 prisoners serving the IPP sentence in custody who had been recalled more than once, whilst there were 2243 offenders serving the IPP sentence in the community who have been released and not been recalled.

As of 8 July, 18 applications have been received from offenders requesting termination of their IPP licence. From September this year, officials will refer automatically to the Parole Board the case of every offender serving the IPP sentence who has become eligible to apply for termination of his/her IPP licence.

Notes for all figures:

1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large-scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.

The Government is committed to the protection of the public and the effective management of offenders. By law, prisoners serving indeterminate sentences who have completed their tariff will be released only when the independent Parole Board concludes that the risk they present to the public is capable of being safely managed in the community under probation supervision.

As of 31 March 2021, there were 1,784 prisoners serving the IPP sentence in custody who have never been released.

As of the same date, there were 632 prisoners serving the IPP sentence in custody who had been recalled more than once, whilst there were 2243 offenders serving the IPP sentence in the community who have been released and not been recalled.

As of 8 July, 18 applications have been received from offenders requesting termination of their IPP licence. From September this year, officials will refer automatically to the Parole Board the case of every offender serving the IPP sentence who has become eligible to apply for termination of his/her IPP licence.

Notes for all figures:

1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large-scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.

The Government is committed to the protection of the public and the effective management of offenders. By law, prisoners serving indeterminate sentences who have completed their tariff will be released only when the independent Parole Board concludes that the risk they present to the public is capable of being safely managed in the community under probation supervision.

As of 31 March 2021, there were 1,784 prisoners serving the IPP sentence in custody who have never been released.

As of the same date, there were 632 prisoners serving the IPP sentence in custody who had been recalled more than once, whilst there were 2243 offenders serving the IPP sentence in the community who have been released and not been recalled.

As of 8 July, 18 applications have been received from offenders requesting termination of their IPP licence. From September this year, officials will refer automatically to the Parole Board the case of every offender serving the IPP sentence who has become eligible to apply for termination of his/her IPP licence.

Notes for all figures:

1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large-scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.

As set out in the background briefing notes to the Queen’s Speech on 11 May, the government intends to legislate to raise the mandatory retirement age of judicial office holders to 75 through the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Bill, to be introduced shortly.

We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing later this Summer. This service will be in operation during this financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally, though the Spending Review 2021 will set out the approach for future years.

HMPPS will also work in conjunction with MHCLG’s announced funding to support prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies.

Working in collaboration with these initiatives Commissioned Rehabilitation Services are also due to start delivery on 26th June 2021. This will provide further services to assist in accommodation as well as those for employment training and education, financial benefit and debt and personal well-being.

The information needed to provide a comprehensive answer to the question asking how many prisoners with an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence and given a Category B status have been released could be provided only at disproportionate cost as central data were not stored in a way that it can be filtered by the required fields to obtain the information prior to 2015. Between 2015 and 2020, there were 86 releases of Category B IPP prisoners. This figure does not include re-releases following recall.

As of 31 March 2021, there were 91 Category B prisoners with an IPP sentence that were serving a sentence on recall.

A prisoner’s individual offending behaviour, resettlement needs and individual circumstances (such as medical requirements) may result in an individual being held in a prison of a higher category than their own category. Prisoners will not be allocated to a prison of a lower security category than the security category assigned to them personally.

Note for figures:

These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.

The information needed to provide a comprehensive answer to the question asking how many prisoners with an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence and given a Category B status have been released could be provided only at disproportionate cost as central data were not stored in a way that it can be filtered by the required fields to obtain the information prior to 2015. Between 2015 and 2020, there were 86 releases of Category B IPP prisoners. This figure does not include re-releases following recall.

As of 31 March 2021, there were 91 Category B prisoners with an IPP sentence that were serving a sentence on recall.

A prisoner’s individual offending behaviour, resettlement needs and individual circumstances (such as medical requirements) may result in an individual being held in a prison of a higher category than their own category. Prisoners will not be allocated to a prison of a lower security category than the security category assigned to them personally.

Note for figures:

These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.

The total number of Category C prisoners with an IPP sentence that were held in Category A and Category B prisons as of 31 March 2021 is shown in the table below.

As of 31 March 2021, there were a total of three Category A prisoners with an IPP sentence that were serving a sentence on recall.

A prisoner’s individual needs in relation to offending behaviour and resettlement, or their individual circumstances (such as medical requirements) may result in an individual being held in a prison of a higher category than their own approved category. Prisoners will not be allocated to a prison of a lower security category than the security category assigned to them personally.

The information needed to provide a comprehensive answer to the final question (How many prisoners with an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence and given a category A status have been released?), could be provided only at disproportionate cost as central data was not stored in a way that allowed for pre-2015 data to be obtained. Between 2015 and 2020, there were fewer than three releases of Category A IPP prisoners. The exact figure is not being provided as the release of some of this information would risk identification of the individuals concerned. However, it should not be assumed that the actual figure represented falls at any particular point within this scale.

Notes for all figures:

1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.
2. These figures include recalled prisoners.

The total number of Category C prisoners with an IPP sentence that were held in Category A and Category B prisons as of 31 March 2021 is shown in the table below.

As of 31 March 2021, there were a total of three Category A prisoners with an IPP sentence that were serving a sentence on recall.

A prisoner’s individual needs in relation to offending behaviour and resettlement, or their individual circumstances (such as medical requirements) may result in an individual being held in a prison of a higher category than their own approved category. Prisoners will not be allocated to a prison of a lower security category than the security category assigned to them personally.

The information needed to provide a comprehensive answer to the final question (How many prisoners with an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence and given a category A status have been released?), could be provided only at disproportionate cost as central data was not stored in a way that allowed for pre-2015 data to be obtained. Between 2015 and 2020, there were fewer than three releases of Category A IPP prisoners. The exact figure is not being provided as the release of some of this information would risk identification of the individuals concerned. However, it should not be assumed that the actual figure represented falls at any particular point within this scale.

Notes for all figures:

1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.
2. These figures include recalled prisoners.

The total number of Category C prisoners with an IPP sentence that were held in Category A and Category B prisons as of 31 March 2021 is shown in the table below.

As of 31 March 2021, there were a total of three Category A prisoners with an IPP sentence that were serving a sentence on recall.

A prisoner’s individual needs in relation to offending behaviour and resettlement, or their individual circumstances (such as medical requirements) may result in an individual being held in a prison of a higher category than their own approved category. Prisoners will not be allocated to a prison of a lower security category than the security category assigned to them personally.

The information needed to provide a comprehensive answer to the final question (How many prisoners with an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence and given a category A status have been released?), could be provided only at disproportionate cost as central data was not stored in a way that allowed for pre-2015 data to be obtained. Between 2015 and 2020, there were fewer than three releases of Category A IPP prisoners. The exact figure is not being provided as the release of some of this information would risk identification of the individuals concerned. However, it should not be assumed that the actual figure represented falls at any particular point within this scale.

Notes for all figures:

1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.
2. These figures include recalled prisoners.

The total number of Category C prisoners with an IPP sentence that were held in Category A and Category B prisons as of 31 March 2021 is shown in the table below.

As of 31 March 2021, there were a total of three Category A prisoners with an IPP sentence that were serving a sentence on recall.

A prisoner’s individual needs in relation to offending behaviour and resettlement, or their individual circumstances (such as medical requirements) may result in an individual being held in a prison of a higher category than their own approved category. Prisoners will not be allocated to a prison of a lower security category than the security category assigned to them personally.

The information needed to provide a comprehensive answer to the final question (How many prisoners with an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence and given a category A status have been released?), could be provided only at disproportionate cost as central data was not stored in a way that allowed for pre-2015 data to be obtained. Between 2015 and 2020, there were fewer than three releases of Category A IPP prisoners. The exact figure is not being provided as the release of some of this information would risk identification of the individuals concerned. However, it should not be assumed that the actual figure represented falls at any particular point within this scale.

Notes for all figures:

1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.
2. These figures include recalled prisoners.

The total number of prisoners serving life and Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences who have never been released and as at 31 March 2021 had served more than 10 years past the expiry of their tariff, broken down by each year served beyond 10 years (time over tariff), is shown in the following table: